For the elite runners competing in Thursday’s AJC Peachtree Road Race, it’s one thing to win.
It’s another thing to set personal bests and course records, both of which are in the plans for several of the event’s foot racers and wheelchair racers, including the men and the women.
For the course records, it’s the incentive that helps. The event is awarding a $50,000 prize to any racer who can break the course records during Thursday’s race. This goes for both men and women, foot racers and wheelchair racers.
For the wheelchair racers, it’s the highest bonus for a single event in the world. For racers such as 17-time Paralympic medalist Tatyana McFadden, it’s important for the future of the equal opportunity of the sport.
“For us, racing is employment, it’s a job,” McFadden said. “To be granted this equally is actually an amazing turning point. So, thank you, Atlanta.”
As far as actually receiving that prize money, the 2017 and 2018 race champion Daniel Romanchuk likely is the best bet of the wheelchair racers. In last year’s race, he clocked in with a time of 18 minutes, 34.42 seconds, missing the course record by two seconds.
The 20-year-old native of Urbana, Illinois, is weary of the potential weather (the Channel 2 Action News forecast for Thursday calls for a high of 92 degrees), but his confidence hasn’t wavered.
“It will happen, not sure how, but it’s a very strong feeling,” Romanchuk said.
Among the women foot racers, Brigid Kosgei and Fancy Chemutai, both Kenyan runners are two of the best in the world. Kosgei is the fastest woman in the field and hasn’t lost a race since winning the Bank of America Chicago Marathon last fall with a time of 2:18:35. She also said she believes can set a personal record in the upcoming race, assuming of course that the weather holds up.
On the men’s side, 19-year-old Kenyan runner Rhonex Kipruto has a stated a clear ambition for the near future.
“I want to break the world record for 10K on the roads,” Kipruto said.
He already holds the third-fastest 10K of all time clocking in at 26:46 at the 2018 Birell Grand Prix in Prague. He could be getting help from another runner Thursday, one who isn’t competing.
Brandon Lassiter, an Atlanta Track Club member, will have the job of as pacer for Kipruto. He will run two miles, potentially three, at a pace with a time of 4:17 per mile, 8:47 for two miles. He knows it will be a challenge keeping up with one of the fastest runners in the world.
“It’s a very daunting task ahead of me,” Lassiter said. “He’s one of the best, and I’m looking forward to getting out here.”
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